The Sound of Freedom exposes the gripping reality of the horror and abuse that millions of children have been enslaved to across the world and the United States. This film serves as a wake-up call to those who are not aware of the sexual exploitation that occurs through child trafficking. The movie follows former Homeland Security special agent Tim Ballard as he works to rescue children from this nightmare.
The film opens (spoiler alert) with a brother and sister who are being recruited by an entertainment “talent agent.” Shortly after the children’s photos were taken, inherently sexualized through the unbuttoning of shirts and application of red lipstick, they were loaded into a shipping container where they were shipped overseas to their “buyers.” Enter Tim Ballard, who finds a pedophile at home sending out a “spring sampler” to potential clients. Through the heartache that Ballard faces in his job, he is called to rescue the children that fall victim to this type of trafficking rather than just going after the pedophiles. He ends up becoming involved in a mission with the brother and sister who were trafficked by the “talent agent.” When asked by his soon-to-be partner why he wants to undertake this dangerous mission he responds, “God’s children are not for sale.”
This movie had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, causing both tears of sadness and joy. One of the most notable things in the movie was the imagery. From the tattoos that branded the children to the red light in the prostitute’s house, I was left with a feeling of disgust and anger at the atrocities that are occurring to the children. The hardest thing was seeing the children with smiles on their face as they were recruited by the “talent agent,” having no idea, they are being sold into sex slavery. Yet with all the sadness I felt, there was still hope— hope that the Lord would use Tim Ballard to rescue the children.
So why should you as a Concerned Women for America (CWA) member watch The Sound of Freedom? I am sure you are aware of child trafficking, since sexual exploitation is one of CWA’s seven core issues. However, nothing informs you of the reality of the situation quite like connecting with the victims. This film leaves an imprint on your heart that you just cannot ignore. Seeing the children’s faces when they are being exploited is a call to action.
Sometimes we think child trafficking and sexual exploitation are distant issues that are prevalent in other countries but not here in the United States. But that is very far from the truth. At the end of the movie, a few statistics depicting how prevalent this issue is to the U.S. came on the screen. Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry every year with the U.S. being one of the top locations for human trafficking and one of the biggest consumers of child sex. The numbers are hard to believe. There are more people in slavery today than ever before, and the United States, the land of freedom, is playing a huge role in this.
How can we sit by and allow children who are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), endure such exploitation? Psalm 82:3-4 calls us to, “Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.” Not all of us can take on the challenge that Ballard and so many others have to rescue children physically from these wicked circumstances. However, we can use our voices for good. A huge aspect of this issue is simply education.
Go see the movie. Encourage others to see it. The more awareness, the better. We don’t want any parents to have to walk into their children’s room and see an empty bed.
After increased awareness, bring this issue before your legislators. It is apparent the role that the pornography industry, as well as cartels with an open border, have in this issue. Holding your legislators accountable is critical in alleviating this slavery that runs rampant throughout many countries, including ours.
Recently in California, all six of the Democrats on the Assembly Public Safety Committee declined to support a bill that classifies child trafficking as a “serious felony.” After public outcry, one legislator, Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-District 20) apologized publicly for her stance and vowed to help the measure become law going forward. Your voice matters! We the people have an obligation to ensure that our legislators represent the citizens.
The Sound of Freedom’s miraculous success is bringing much awareness and that should give us hope. But let us never forget that our greatest tool as Christians is prayer. The Bible tells us “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b) So, may we rise together in the power of the Spirit to destroy this industry centered around exploitation and child abuse.